Hermit Druid MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Druid
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Hermit Druid’s self-mill can significantly fuel powerful graveyard synergies, elevating card advantage.
  2. Its ability’s resource acceleration is pivotal for decks utilizing a full graveyard for strategies.
  3. This card offers instant-speed play flexibilities post-graveyard setup, broadening tactical options.

Text of card

o G, oc T: Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a basic land card. Put that card into your hand and put all other revealed cards into your graveyard.

Seeking the company of plants ensures that your wits will go to seed.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hermit Druid has the unique ability to potentially mill a significant portion of your library into your graveyard, thus setting up the potential for powerful graveyard synergies. This can translate into substantial card advantage, as the creature allows you to access more of your cards indirectly through graveyard mechanics.

Resource Acceleration: This creature’s ability can be seen as a method of resource acceleration. By rapidly filling the graveyard, it enables strategies that are dependent on having a high volume of cards in the graveyard, effectively speeding up the game plan of decks built to exploit this.

Instant Speed: While Hermit Druid’s ability itself isn’t at instant speed, the card sets the stage for numerous instant-speed interactions. Once your graveyard is stocked, it opens up the possibility to utilize flashbacks, unearth, and other abilities that can be activated during either player’s turn, thereby increasing the card’s strategic flexibility.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Those hoping to integrate Hermit Druid into their deck must be prepared for a higher level of strategy due to its unorthodox gameplay style. Engaging its ability demands the removal of your library’s top card, which may lead to involuntary discard of key cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Hermit Druid necessitates precise mana alignment, requiring both green and one other unspecified mana. This specificity can restrict deck-building options, particularly for those seeking to deploy a multicolored strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a startup cost of two mana and a maintenance cost of one green mana every time its ability is activated, Hermit Druid’s expense may outweigh the benefits. Players must weigh this recurring investment against other potential card selections that could offer more immediate or flexible advantages on the battlefield.


Reasons to Include Hermit Druid in Your Collection

Versatility: Hermit Druid has the unique ability to manipulate a player’s library directly into their graveyard. This characteristic ensures that it can be a key component in a variety of decks, especially those built around graveyard strategies or themes that involve self-mill.

Combo Potential: Hermit Druid is notorious for its ability to engage in powerful combinations. For instance, the card can quickly mill entire libraries if there are no basic lands to reveal, setting up for an instant win condition with cards like Thassa’s Oracle or Dread Return.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where games can end quickly or in environments where graveyard synergy is prevalent, Hermit Druid remains a card that can pose a significant threat. It’s a card that can adapt to various metas with its ability to assemble pieces for a game-winning combo efficiently.


How to beat

The Hermit Druid is a notoriously powerful card within the MTG universe, often acting as a keystone in combo decks that aim to put large numbers of cards into the graveyard swiftly. With an activated ability that can dramatically change the course of a game, it’s essential to know how to interrupt this strategy. Graveyard hate cards, such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, can shut down the Druid’s effectiveness by preemptively eliminating the graveyard as a resource. Without a graveyard to fuel the engine, the Druid’s ability becomes nullified.

Control elements are also key against the Hermit Druid. Counterspells, instant-speed removal, or even hand disruption can prevent your opponent from taking advantage of the Druid’s ability. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Thoughtseize can disrupt the Druid’s combo before it takes off. Additionally, keeping pressure on your opponent’s life total can force them into a defensive position where they aren’t able to leverage the Druid’s full potential. Balanced aggression, strategic control, and specific hate cards are effective ways to stop a Hermit Druid in its tracks.

Ultimately, preparation and understanding the Druid’s role in your opponent’s game plan are necessary for countering its potent ability. Making the right sideboard choices and playing reactively will help you remain one step ahead, mitigating the Druid’s capacity to dominate the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

The Hermit Druid is an MTG card that beckons the strategically minded player, inviting a deep dive into the tactics of self-mill and graveyard synergy. As you’ve learned about its potential for card advantage and game-winning combos, it’s clear that this card deserves consideration in your MTG arsenal. For the savvy deck builder who thrives on complex interactions and enjoys shaping the battlefield, the Hermit Druid stands as a formidable ally. If the prospect of sculpting your playstyle around such mechanisms intrigues you, we encourage you to explore further. Embrace the challenge and finesse required to wield the Hermit Druid effectively—your deck might just transcend to a new level of competitive edge. Learn more and harness the full power of this iconic card.


Cards like Hermit Druid

Hermit Druid remains a unique card within the world of Magic: The Gathering, setting a peculiar standard for deck-manipulation abilities. The card parallels with effects such as Millstone, which allows a player to put the top two cards of their library into their graveyard. However, unlike Millstone’s fixed number, Hermit Druid excavates until a basic land card is revealed, which can potentially churn through a massive portion of a library in one go.

Another analogous card is Golgari Grave-Troll, featuring the dredge mechanic, which can replace a draw with a hefty number of cards moved from the library to the graveyard. Though similar in the graveyard-filling strategy, Hermit Druid’s ability is a single activation per turn and can be a more controlled yet expansive option. Then there’s Mesmeric Orb, which mills cards for each untap, providing a steady stream of graveyard filling but without the target player’s control that Hermit Druid offers.

When comparing these mechanics, Hermit Druid can significantly alter a game’s dynamic through its potential to flip a deck into the graveyard, a trait that can be a linchpin in many combo-based strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It’s a card that, while comparable to others, stands out for its strategic depth and potential game-ending interactions.

Millstone - MTG Card versions
Golgari Grave-Troll - MTG Card versions
Mesmeric Orb - MTG Card versions
Millstone - Antiquities (ATQ)
Golgari Grave-Troll - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Mesmeric Orb - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Hermit Druid by color, type and mana cost

Wyluli Wolf - MTG Card versions
Whirling Dervish - MTG Card versions
River Boa - MTG Card versions
Albino Troll - MTG Card versions
Silverglade Pathfinder - MTG Card versions
Quirion Elves - MTG Card versions
Blurred Mongoose - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Loamspeaker - MTG Card versions
Genesis Hydra - MTG Card versions
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - MTG Card versions
Scavenging Ooze - MTG Card versions
Heir of the Wilds - MTG Card versions
Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - MTG Card versions
Wren's Run Vanquisher - MTG Card versions
Muscle Sliver - MTG Card versions
Utopia Tree - MTG Card versions
Bloodline Shaman - MTG Card versions
Sakura-Tribe Elder - MTG Card versions
Stonewood Invoker - MTG Card versions
Oran-Rief Survivalist - MTG Card versions
Wyluli Wolf - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Whirling Dervish - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
River Boa - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Albino Troll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Silverglade Pathfinder - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Quirion Elves - Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition (DDE)
Blurred Mongoose - Invasion (INV)
Llanowar Loamspeaker - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Genesis Hydra - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Scavenging Ooze - Modern Masters 2017 (MM3)
Heir of the Wilds - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wren's Run Vanquisher - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Muscle Sliver - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Utopia Tree - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Bloodline Shaman - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sakura-Tribe Elder - Junior APAC Series (PJAS)
Stonewood Invoker - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)
Oran-Rief Survivalist - Zendikar (ZEN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hermit Druid MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and Magic Online Promos, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Hermit Druid and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hermit Druid Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Heather Hudson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-03-02StrongholdSTH 1081997normalblackHeather Hudson
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 360802003normalblackHeather Hudson
32004-01-01Judge Gift Cards 2004G04 62003normalblackHeather Hudson
42014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 2162015normalblackHeather Hudson
52015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 1752015normalblackHeather Hudson
62020-09-26The ListPLST STH-1081997normalblackHeather Hudson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hermit Druid has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyBanned
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelBanned
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Hermit Druid card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2004-10-04 You can put the cards from your library into your graveyard in any order.

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